OPINION: Happy Birthday, Former Vice President Leni Robredo; Her Politics and Her Manners By Manuel L. Caballero

ON MY WATCH

By MANUEL L. CABALLERO

HAPPY  BIRTHDAY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT LENI ROBREDO; HER POLITICS AND HER MANNERS

Tomorrow, April 23,  is the former Veep's birthday. I know her age. But, a man is not supposed to tell. I'm confident she will reveal it herself.  

During the short period that she has been in politics, as a lawyer, as widow of a late cabinet member, as representative of her district in PH Congress, as Vice President of the Philippines, as a candidate for PH president, as Hauser speaker at Harvard Kennedy School, as a fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation and as invited speaker in various international associations, she has gained respect and admiration as an amazing and singular woman.

The Angat Buhay is her pet advocacy program that focuses on six key areas. Those are public education, rural development, food security and nutrition, women empowerment, universal healthcare, and housing and resettlement.

Her politics is plain, simple and honest. Politics, being her ability to make the other person do what, otherwise, he will not do. 

I will sum up her politics from what she said publicly last year, "Kung walang kaaway sa loob (ng Pilipinas), wala ring kaaway sa labas ." 

Her doctrine has been proven true many times. Just last week, the First Lady of the PH directly praised her good political manner by comparing her to VP Sara, who Mrs. Araneta-Marcos apparently believes is a lesser politician compared to Atty. Robredo.

I have met Mrs. Robredo five times in the past in my capacity as  journalist, the last one was last year during the UPAAA Reunion in NJ. In all our meetings, I have developed a liking for her, short of having "crush". If you recall, I even wrote something about her pony tail.

Since she returned from Italy as a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow, she has gone to her Camarines Sur 5 or 6 times as guest speaker of various local groups. These visits make me think that she has local political plan in the 2025 elections.

Many Filipinos, including those who tirelessly react positively to her photos that I have been regularly posting in my Facebook Story for the past 2 years,  are perhaps, hoping that one day, she will be granted the blessing of leading the native country which badly needs a leader of her caliber.

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President Marcos Expects Alliance with US, Japan to Benefit PH Economy

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed confidence Friday that American and Japanese investments in the country will materialize in the next five years following his trilateral summit with the leaders of said countries.

“They have already committed to these investments and the fact that we have together identified areas – that investment will go to, it shows that this is not a promise – it is something that we intend to do. I am very confident that this will all materialize and mararamdaman natin sa Pilipinas,” President Marcos said during a media interview in Waldorf, Hotel in Washington, DC.

“I think for the years to come we’ll start to begin [to] see the wisdom of having that – good thing entered into. We affirmed our close relationship with the United States – made to the US, which is indicative of how are we redefining our relationship – developments around the world, how we approach it – it’s really about development, so all of these things have come together,” he said.

The President said he sees the trilateral alliance changing the dynamics in the region, in Southeast Asia, in Asia, and around the South China Sea, noting such partnership is a major step for the Philippines, US, and Japan.

The trilateral summit formalized the partnership between the Philippines, Japan and the US, the President said, adding it is a continuing evolution of their relationship amid new challenges in Indo-Pacific.

“This is evidence(d) by the fact that the large part of the agreement is on economic proposal – security and defense, of course, is there, but it is not the main point of the trilateral agreement,” President Marcos noted.

“Talaga namang very well defined, [the] sectors that we have prioritized are stated very clearly – we have to characterized it properly, nagkakaisa lang ang tatlong bansa, ang Japan, ang US at Pilipinas. Walang mangyayari sa mga plano kung magkagulo, nais natin ‘wag masyadong magkagulo,” he stressed.

President Marcos has concluded his two-day working visit to the US which included a bilateral meeting with his American counterpart, the trilateral meeting with US and Japanese leaders, the meeting with US defense officials, and US business leaders. 

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